Our school community adopts a set of values that deeply enforces and embraces perseverance, and resilience in the face of obstacles and uncertainty; the ability to learn independently; curiosity, inventiveness, and creativity.
We encourage our students to become productive citizens within and beyond the school, by nurturing their positive mindsets about self and school, along with social awareness and responsibility
A: At DIS we offer a comprehensive and robust academic program that is aligned with common core standards. Our constructivist, student-centered curriculum encourages students to find their passions and paths in education and follow them. Students are led to work with and use the information they are given, both individually and with other members of the class.
DIS integrated curriculum connects different areas of study by cutting across subject-matter lines and emphasizing unifying concepts. Integration focuses on making connections for students, allowing them to engage in relevant, meaningful activities that are connected to real life. This structure supports the students’ overall development, always emphasizing the objective of students achieving “life skills.”
Our curriculum encourages high school students to continue their studies in all of the major academic disciplines, giving them the opportunity to join the most prestigious universities. In addition to the core subjects and SAT preparation courses, we provide a wide selection of Advanced Placement courses, ACT preparation courses, academic and career counseling.
For more information regarding our academic program and course offerings, check our website or set an appointment to visit our school campus and talk to one of our admission officers.
DIS provides a wide range of extra-curricular activities, during the school day as well as after school activities. In addition to the Athletes Program that runs during and after the school day, we provide different clubs for visual and performing arts like Art, Music, Dance, Drama, Hour of Code and Maker Club.
Admission Process:
Parents who are interested in enrolling their children to DIS are encouraged to book an appointment to visit the school campus for a guided school tour (during the school tours designated times). During the school tour, parents can meet our admission officer and Stages Heads for more details regarding our academic and activities program.
Prospective students are required to sit for an admission test in English and Math, an IQ test and a behavioral/psychological Assessment. For students applying to Kindergarten; Kindergarten Readiness & Developmental Checklist and an IQ test are also used to determine any speech or developmental delays. Test scores are determined and discussed with the parents on the same day.
Following the admission tests, parents should have a personal interview with the school heads.
Admission Criteria:
Accepted students should score at least 70% in English and Math tests to ensure that our academic program matches the students level.
Students who are already accepted will have to sit for a placement test in the second language (French or German) to determine whether or not their level matches the school program and provide support during summer if needed.
For students who score less than 70% as a result of deficiency in any academic aspect, parents have the option to enroll their child to our Learning Support Program for prospective students.
Through this program, a student can be offered conditional acceptance provided that he/she successfully completes a summer course that enhances his/her academic performance in the deficiency areas detected in the admission exam.
Students with Learning difficulties:
If the admission committee suspects any signs of learning difficulties/disabilities; for example: speech, language or cognitive delay, ADHD, social or emotional stress or anxiety, more specific screening tools will be required to determine the kind of learning difficulty/disability the student may be suffering from.
In such cases parents will be asked to have their children assessed in specialized centers to determine the type and degree of disability, so as to make an informed decision about the student’s admission and set a plan to accommodate for his/her needs.
The Admissions Committee submits files of students with special educational needs to the Learning Support Team for the purpose of determining the suitability of the educational program for each student.
Conditional acceptances and/or flexible placement options may be considered if there is uncertainty about the match of student and curriculum.
DIS provides a Learning Support Program (LSP) as a part of our Students Support Services.
LSP works in coordination with all teachers to enhance the academic and social emotional learning of our students. The program is designed based on a Multi-tiered Response to Intervention model (RTI).
RTI is a preventive model of intervention. It’s three-tiered structure proactively addresses academic and behavioral deficits before they further develop. It also provides ongoing support within the regular classroom setting.
Our Learning Support Team (LST) includes:
The School Principal and Heads of Stages
School Psychologists
School Social Worker
Class Teachers
Learning Support Teachers
Roles and responsibilities of each member of LST are defined according to the student’s tier support level and the response to intervention. LSP works as a placement program for prospective students and as a referral program for the existing school students.
For more information regarding DIS Learning Support Program and the other Students Support Services, check our website or set an appointment to visit our school campus and talk to one of our admission officers.